Playing Fields: Planning

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  with reference to the answer of 17 July 2007,  Official Report, column 226W, on playing fields: planning, for what reason the consultation paper on the review of statutory consultees was not published in 2007; when it was  (a) commissioned and  (b) originally due for publication; and when it is expected to be published;
	(2)  with reference to the answer of 17 July 2007,  Official Report, column 226W, on playing fields: planning, how many members of staff in her Department are working on the consultation paper on the review of statutory consultees.
	(3)  what progress has been made in bringing forward the changes to the Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) Order 1995 announced in her Department's press release, "Planning to Safeguard Open Spaces and Playing Fields", of July 2002.

Iain Wright: We announced in the Planning white paper "Planning for Sustainable Communities" that we would review arrangements for statutory consultees on planning applications and would consult on proposals in due course. This work is being taken forward, our aim is to publish a consultation paper shortly. Meanwhile, as I mentioned in the reply I gave to the hon. Member on 17 July, we are committed to reducing the threshold for statutory consultation on the sale of playing fields from 0.4 ha to 0.2 ha and we will seek an opportunity to make the necessary amendment to the Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) Order 1995.